Aidan O`Brien and Michael Kinane`s busy weekend has just got busier with the news that Pyrus is set to fly the Ballydoyle flag in Sunday`s Prix Morny at Deauville.
The champion partnership are already committed to running the double Group 1 winner Ciro in Saturday`s Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes in Chicago but then face a dash to make Deauville the following day.
'Pyrus looks our most likely runner in the Prix Morny although we also have Beckett and Minardi in the race. Minardi has been in very good shape since winning the Heinz but I imagine Michael will be on Pyrus. We are likely to have just the one runner in the race,' O`Brien said yesterday.
One Ballydoyle runner has been enough in the Prix Morny for the last two years. Orpen followed-up a Goodwood maiden success by wining the Group 1 pot in 1998 while Fasliyev`s sparkling victory last year was enough to make him a clear European champion two-year-old.
Pyrus also has a run at Goodwood under his belt as he last ran in the Richmond Stakes a fortnight ago when beaten a length by John Gosden`s Endless Summer. The Mr Prospector colt had earlier won the Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh on his debut.
O`Brien confirmed that the American race at Arlington Park will be the last race he will have charge of the Prix Lupin winner Ciro. Ranged against him on Saturday will be Dermot Weld`s American Derby winner Pine Dance and the British-trained Compton Bolter. O`Brien also confirmed Giant`s Causeway on target for next Tuesday`s Juddmonte Internationl at the big York meeting.
'Giant`s Causeway is very well and we also have a lot of two year olds entered at York. But we won`t know until the end of the week which of them will travel over,' O`Brien said.
